I think I have made great progress in my silver work.
I finished the second ring and in between the Thursday classes, I was playing with Viking Knit. These hands hate to be idle!
I had found some instructions for VK on-line and thought I would give it a try. I made two bracelet: one that was just plain VK with 24 g sterling silver wire, and the second was made with the same wire but I worked some small garnet beads into the knit. I took both down to class to show Diane, who was leading the class and she ask me [ME!!] to teach a class in VK. WOW, and several of the ladies said they wanted to learn it too.
OMG, I feel so …… YIPEEEEEE, people like my work and want to learn from me [and I have only been at this for 4 months!]This still has to be all be sorted out and maybe I will do it in the fall as I have a very busy summer.
And why will my summer will be busy?
Anything used for a long time occasionally needs repair. Your car probably gets regular maintenance but every once in a while, it just breaks and you get it fixed, your house sometimes needs some repairs and even jewelry also has to get fixed, it can just wear out. As can we!
Well, I have to go for some minor repairs too. It’s not critical or serious and this is not frivolus either. It seems that sometime in the past year I have torn my right rotator cuff. (That’s the tendon and ball and socket in shoulder). I also have a bone spur which has compounded the problem. Being left handed, this is a strange situation as it is normally torn in the dominant arm; I have not been throwing 100 mph baseballs either.
There are so many things I can’t do or have had to stop doing. I can’t do any cab cutting; long hours at the computer gives me hours of pain; putting on T-shirts is hard. Basically any movement that raises my hand above the shoulder causes and OW! Thankfully, soldering does not cause pain and my husband has been helping me wind coils so I could continue to make some chains.
This Wednesday is the day I am getting fixed. Then a week in a sling, then a week of limited use and by mid-June I will be into the physical therapy. And just about this time the Del Mar (San Diego) fair will start.
I am a member of the Volunteers for Minerals and we have a booth at the Del Mar fair in the Gem & Mineral building. I am working the booth every Saturday, all day, while the fair is open. (Yes, these days I will also be in a sling to make sure I don’t lift anything to heavy) IF you come to the fair on a Saturday, please come by and say hello as I would love to meet some of you.
I love working the fair and talking the little kids who LOVE LOVE LOVE rocks, minerals, fossils, and any sparkly and who’s parents just don’t get it. I hear things like “Oh no, not another rock!” or “Why do you want that? It’s not even pretty”. I then make an effort to talk about science and encouraging their kids as if they are good at it maybe - just maybe, the might get a scholarship for college OR (gosh) a great career and a great salary. Amazingly, that’s when I see the light go on! Somewhere in there, I try to drop that I am an engineer, have two degree’s and make more money than my husband. This is really important if the child, who wants the mineral, is a young girl. That is really has an impact!
I know I am taking a bit of left turn at this point and it does not have much to do with metal smithing or jewelry BUT I am very saddened by the state of education here in California and many parents who do not take an interest in their child’s education let alone encouraging other interests. If a kid want to collect rocks, then let them! If they want to make jewelry versus them playing soccer well, then let them, as one day they might have a career they enjoy and not a just a job they hate.
I am done now ;=)
Thanks!
